Jack gave his promise; and, as both their lives depended on it, he was likely to keep it. At first they thought the khan might be safer to stay in than the huts, but a caravan from Urfa had just stopped there, and both the open enclosure and the rooms round it (if rooms they may be called) were quite full. Moreover, the Kourds of the village came about them with welcomes and questions and offers of hospitality. So Jack gathered from their looks and gestures. He stood among them, gazing about him with as vacant an expression of face as he could manage to assume, only praying they might not be rough with Shushan, for such a set of wild-looking savages, as he thought, he had never seen before; although, of course, since coming to the country, he had seen many Kourds. After a while Shushan touched him, and motioned to him to come with her. One of the Kourds led them to a hut; and, as it appeared by his looks and gestures, invited them to consider it their own mansion, with the same magnificent air with which a Spanish grandee might have said, "This is your own house, señor." As soon as he had attended to their horses and brought in the saddle cloths, Jack surveyed the miserable hovel--some twelve feet in diameter, and with no furniture save a couple of dirty mats and cushions--and wished with all his heart for a decent English pig-stye! "You _must_ get a sleep, Shushan," he said aloud. "But how I am ever to make you comfortable here----" "_Hush!_" Shushan breathed rather than spoke, with a warning hand laid upon his arm. "Well?" said Jack, speaking low, but surprised at her evident alarm. She pointed to the one little unglazed hole in the mud wall that served as a window. "They sit under that, and listen," she said. "I know their ways." After that, only low whispers were exchanged. A meal of pillav, with kabobs (little pieces of roast meat), was served to them by their hosts, who were presently--as Shushan ascertained with much relief--going in a body to some neighbouring vineyard, to cut grapes. When they had finished eating, Jack spread the two horse cloths for Shushan, and exhorted her to lie down and sleep. He thought he was far too anxious to do so himself. He sat up manfully near the door, with his back against the wall, for fear of a sudden surprise; but nature in the end was too strong for him, and even in that unrestful position she managed to steep his senses in a profound slumber. Chapter XII THE USE OF A REVOLVER "So let it be. In God's own Might We gird us for the coming fight." --_Whittier._ It was Shushan who awoke her guardian, near the going down of the sun. "Shack," she whispered, "let us get the horses and begone. I like not the looks of these people. Some of them have come back from the vineyard; and I saw them looking in at the window, and whispering." Jack shook himself. "So I have slept," he said, surprised. "I did not mean it. What time is it?"